Perched on the bluffs above Lake Winnebago near High Cliff, Sherwood's slopes and lake views make for dramatic — and demanding — yards.
Sherwood sits on the east shore of Lake Winnebago, right below the bluffs of the Niagara Escarpment and High Cliff State Park. It is a boating community with some of the best lake views in the region, and a lot of newer homes built to take them in.
Those views come on sloped, wind-exposed ground, which is exactly where our hardscaping and grading experience earns its keep. A Sherwood yard often needs a retaining wall to create usable space, wind-tolerant plantings to survive the exposure, and a design that frames the lake instead of fighting the terrain.
Sherwood's slopes are steeper than most of the Valley, and that puts retaining walls and grading at the center of the work. We build walls on deep, compacted bases with real drainage behind them so they hold against the hillside and the freeze-thaw for decades — not the few winters a cut-rate wall lasts.
Terracing a bluff lot does more than stop erosion. It carves flat, usable space out of a slope and steps it down toward the view, turning difficult ground into the best seat in the house.
Up on the escarpment, wind off Lake Winnebago is relentless. We choose tough, wind-tolerant plants and place windbreaks and screens to shelter the patio without walling off the view. The whole design works around keeping the lake in sight.
Engineered retaining walls that terrace slopes, stop erosion, and reclaim usable yard — built to hold through freeze-thaw.
Learn moreA custom, buildable plan for your whole yard — drainage, plantings, and hardscape that fit your property and our climate.
Learn moreFire pits, outdoor kitchens, pergolas, and seating areas that stretch your short Wisconsin season from spring into fall.
Learn moreNative-forward gardens, trees, and shrubs chosen to survive Zone 5 winters and thrive with less water and upkeep.
Learn moreFrench drains, dry creek beds, rain gardens, and regrading that end standing water in our clay soil for good.
Learn moreLow-voltage LED lighting that makes your home safer, more secure, and stunning after dark — through every season.
Learn moreThey terraced our bluff lot with two walls and a patio that looks right out over the lake. It's the reason we bought the place.
Yes. Terracing with engineered retaining walls turns a bluff slope into flat, usable levels stepped toward the lake. It is some of the most common and rewarding work we do in Sherwood.
We choose wind-tolerant, deep-rooted plants and place windbreaks and screens to shelter the patio and beds without blocking your view of the lake.
We build them on deep, compacted bases with drainage behind the wall so hillside pressure and freeze-thaw do not push them out of line. Done right, a wall holds for decades.
Cost GuidesA retaining wall is a structure, not just a stack of stone. Here is how the main materials compare on cost and durability — and why drainage behind the wall decides its lifespan.
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HardscapingA sloped yard has two main fixes: hold the grade with a wall, or reshape it by regrading. Here is when each makes sense, and why the answer is often both.
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Planting & GardensA working list of fifteen plants that earn their place in a Fox Valley yard — hardy through our winters, forgiving of clay, and heavy on natives.
Read articleOwner-supervised design, hardscaping, and planting for Sherwood, WI and the surrounding area.
